Thursday, April 28, 2011

No place like home! This mother duck needed a rest after her ten baby ducklings hatched - so took sanctuary in a hanging basket at the Castle Hotel in Kirby Muxloe, Leicestershire

This mother duck needed a rest after her ten baby ducklings hatched - so took sanctuary in a hotel's hanging basket.

The new arrivals were uncovered after one of the chicks tumbled out of the nest on to the ground and wandered into the hotel.

Sammy Preston found the duckling waddling around the foyer of the Castle Hotel in Kirby Muxloe, Leicestershire.

Familiar territory: Pictured here in more familiar watery surroundings, the new arrivals were uncovered after one of the chicks tumbled out of the impromptu nest on to the ground and wandered into the hotel

Hotel events co-ordinator Sammy, 20, said: 'The little duck was unharmed and must have fallen out again as I found him wandering around in reception.

'I thought he may have been rejected and mistook me for his mother. He was so cute and I wanted to look after him.

'Fortunately, it seems he is actually his mum's favourite as by the afternoon he was swimming around after her in the pond while the others stayed in the nest.

Quackers: The mother duck guards her new home after 'moving in' to the flower basket to hatch her eggs

'We've called him Harry and her Jemima.' Hotel manager Kate Whitehead, 39, added: 'The mother duck has been sitting in one of our hanging flower baskets at the side of the hotel, on and off, for the last few days, but we didn't think anything of it.

'It was so cute. We helped it back into the nest and that's when we noticed the others.

'The ducklings have been the centre of attention, especially with children.'Everyone has been fussing and cooing over them.'